Dry wall structure



Sept. 9, 1969 P. H. MILLER 3,465,438

DRY WALL STRUCTURE Filed March 29, 1967 NVEN'IOR. veTcn H. Am-.61,

BY (an frond e1:

United States Patent 3,465,488 DRY WALL STRUCTURE Peter H. Miller, 338 Wilson Ave., Newark, NJ. 07105 Filed Mar. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 626,886 Int. Cl. E04b 2/72, 2/30 U.S. Cl. 52-481 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to wall structures of the type ending short of the ceiling of the room in which the wall structure is installed. Such wall structures are widely used as partition Walls or room dividers in offices, industrial buildings and also in homes. More particularly, the invention relates to dry wall structures which are constructed of suitably spaced upright studs secured to floor runners anchored to the floor. The studs which may include conduits for wires and pipes serve as supports for panels such as plaster boards, sheet rock boards and other boards conventionally used in structures of this type.

Economic considerations demand that installation and disassembly of such room dividers or partition walls can be elfected in a simple inexpensive and rapid fashion, the more so as installations of this kind are often not intended to be permanent but have to be relocated as the requirements of the occupants of the room change. Another demand generally made on dividers or partition Walls of the kind herein referred to is that they are smoothly and attractively finished, especially when used in offices, public rooms or private homes and that such smooth finish can be rapidly and inexpensively obtained.

Accordingly, it is a broad object of the invention to provide a novel and improved wall structure of the general kind above referred to, the sides and top rim of which present a smooth and attractive appearance and are capable of withstanding the wear and tear to which such structures are generally subjected.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved wall structure of the general kind above referred to, the top rim and sides of which can be finished without requiring expensive components and with a minimum of labor. Labor saving is an important factor in todays building construction industry.

The afore pointed out objects, features and advantages and other objects, features and advantages which will be pointed out hereinafter are obtained by securing to the top rim of a divider or partition wall, after erecting the studs and securing the cover panels to the same, a channelled cap extending along the length of the wall. After securing the cap to the wall, the side branches of the cap are covered with a suitable finishing material such as plaster or spackle so that the cap is smoothly faired into the outer surface of the cover panels and the fasteners such as nails used for securing the cap to the cover panels are concealed.

In the accompanying drawing several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a wall structure including a finishing cap according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the finishing cap;

Patented Sept. 9, 1969 ice FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a finished cap mounting on the top rim of the wall structure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cap secured to the wall structure; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modification of the cap secured to the top rim of the wall structure.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the dry wall structure as exemplified in FIG. 1, comprises a conventional base runner 1 in the form of a channelled sheet metal strip. This base runner should be visualized as being anchored to the floor in a conventional and suitable manner. A plurality of lengthwise channelled studs 2 are secured in upright position to the base runner. The studs may include openings 3 for pipe and wiring conduits. Cover panels 4 such as plasterboard panels, wallboard panels, etc. are fastened, for instance, by nailing to opposite sides of the studs. The structure as herein-before described is conventional and the invention is concerned with finishing the top rim of the wall. As pointed out before, the walls with which the invention is concerned are used as partition walls or room dividers and terminate short of the ceiling so that the top rim of the wall is exposed.

Applicant has found that the finishing of the top rim by the means as heretofore known for the purpose and in the manner customarily used, is time consuming and fairly expensive.

According to the invention a finishing cap 10 is snapped upon the top rim. The finishing cap is formed of a channelled strip which has a generally U-shaped cross-section. It is made of sheet material, such as sheet metal of suitable gauge. The side branches 11 of the cap are preferably slightly inwardly slanted so that they engage the outer wall surfaces of cover panels 4 with a frictional grip. The corner edges at which the side branches 11 join the base web 12 of the cap are formed with an outwardly protruding lengthwise bead 13.

As is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cap is mounted by simply snapping it upon the top rim of the wall structure erected as described in connection with FIG. 1 thereby closing the open gap between cover panels 4 on opposite sides of the studs. The cap may be secured to the panels by any suitable means such as nails 15 driven through preferably pre-drilled holes 16 in the side branches 11 of the cap.

To finish the cap, hardening finishing material such as plaster or spackle is adhered to the spaces defined by beads 13 and is gradually faired into the outer wall surface of cover panels 4. As can best be seen in FIG. 3, the finishing material fills a space of approximately triangular or wedge shaped cross-section and covers the heads of nails 15 or of other fasteners used for securing the cap to the cover panels. The provision of beads 13 facilitates the forming of a smoothly finished surface extending from the top level of the cap to the cover panels. The beads also serve as anchoring surfaces for the finishing material.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the finishing cap which permits mounting of a glass panel 20 or other panel on the top of the wall structure as shown in FIG. 1. For this purpose a channelled member 21 is formed on the top side of web 12. This channelled member may be pressed directly out of the material of web 12 as it is shown in FIG. 5, or a separate channelled member may be secured, for instance, by riveting or soldering to cap 10. Panel 20 is fitted in channel 21 and secured therein, preferably by interposing a cushioning layer 22 such as a U-channelled strip made of a soft plastic or other suitable material.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wall structure of the general kind described, comprising in combination:

(a) a floor runner;

(b) a plurality of upright studs secured to said floor runner spaced along the same;

(c) cover panels secured to said studs on opposite sides thereof in parallel relationship and spaced from each other to define air spaces therebetween, the upper edges of said panels defining the top rim of the wall structure;

(d) a channelled finishing cap fitted upon said top rim along the length thereof, the side branches of said cap straddling the outside of the panels in pressure engagement therewith on both sides of the studs, said cap having along each of its upper edges an outwardly protruding bead and mounting on the outer side of its base web a generally Ushaped channel upwardly protruding from said web with the open side of the channel facing upwardly for mounting a partition wall in said channel;

(e) fasteners protruding through the side branches of the cap into the panels to secure the cap to the panels; and

(f) a layer of hardened finishing material adhered to the outside of each side branch of the cap and the respective bead, the thickness of said layer being gradually tapered from the beads toward the outer wall surface of the respective cover plate to conceal said fasteners and to form a smooth transition surface from the beads of the cap to the cover panels. 2. A wall structure according to claim 1, wherein the side branches of the cap are slightly inwardly slanted in reference to each other to engage the cover panels with a springy grip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 497,543 5/1893 Henderson 52-720 2,038,115 4/1936 Keller 52-241 2,104,877 1/1938 Levy 52-495 2,581,750 1/1952 Bursik 52-211 3,027,605 4/1962 Nelsson 52-241 3,125,193 3/1964 Brown 52-481 X 3,217,452 11/1965 Steele 52-241 X 3,255,561 6/1966 Cable 52-364 X 2,837,787 6/1958 Wright 52-204 2,909,251 10/1959 Nelsson 52-241 X 3,309,825 3/1967 Zinn 52-241 3,345,791 10/1967 Shinefeld 52-627 X 1,292,263 1/1919 Conwell 52-495 3,324,615 6/1967 Zinn 52-241 3,391,509 7/1968 Fruman 52-367 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

